JVC's Emerald series of HDTVs with Roku deliver decent performance and connected features at a reasonable price.

Big-screen HDTVs are becoming more and more affordable. And thanks to Roku, the most affordable ones are becoming more and more connected. Previously you had to get a media hub in addition to a budget HDTV, as is the case with the Editors' Choice Sharp LC-48LE551U. Now several inexpensive screens simply come with the MHL version of the Roku Streaming Stick that integrates directly into the HDTV through an MHL-compatible HDMI port. That was the case with the Sanyo FVF5044, and it's the case with JVC's Emerald FTR series of LED-backlit HDTVs. At $629.99, the 55-inch EM55FTR offers decent performance, and if you want connected features in this price range, decent performance is about all you can expect.

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DesignLike most budget HDTVs, the 28.6-by-48.8-by-2.7-inch (HWD), 38.6-pound EM55FTR has a basic, utilitarian design. The screen is surrounded on all sides by a flat, glossy bezel distinguished only by a larger matte accent and a painted-on JVC logo on the bottom edge. The panel sits on a rectangular black plastic base that holds the screen steady, but doesn't let it pivot.

A row of controls sits on the right edge of the back of the display, including Power, Menu, Channel Up/Down, Volume Up/Down, and Input buttons. An HDMI port, USB port, and optical and stereo RCA audio outputs face left on the back of the screen, with the other two HDMI ports, component video input, antenna input, and power connection facing downward. The side HDMI port is MHL-equipped, and intended for use with the included Roku Streaming Stick. Keep in mind that if you use the latter, it leaves the EM55FTR with only two free HDMI ports for your other devices.

The included remote is long, black, and surprisingly comfortable. The rubber buttons are flat and lack illumination, but they're spaced out very well, with the direction pad easy to find under the thumb. While the EM55FTR itself doesn't have many reasons to dive into its menu system besides changing settings, the remote also controls the connected Roku Streaming Stick, making the navigation pad and playback controls very important.

Roku Streaming StickWhile the HDTV itself lacks any connected features, the EM55FTR offers full access to Roku's content channels through the included Roku Streaming Stick. The MHL version of the stick plugs directly into the HDMI port on the side and integrates directly into the screen, like the Sanyo FVF5044 and its Roku Streaming Stick.

We've reviewed both the MHL and HDMI versions of the Roku Streaming Stick, and the latter earned our Editors' Choice distinction. The MHL version included didn't fare as well on its own because of its MHL HDMI port requirement, but as a bundled component of the EM55FTR it works great. It offers full Roku functionality, just as if you plugged in an HDMI Roku Streaming Stick and powered it through a USB connection.

Roku offers a wide variety of content channels and services, including all of the standard movie and music apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube. It also supports streaming movies and music from your mobile device through Roku's free iOS and Android apps. The included stick doesn't come with Roku's signature pill-shaped remote, but you can use the EM55FTR's remote or your smartphone and the Roku app to control the interface.

PerformanceWe test HDTVs using a Klein K-10A colorimeter, SpectraCal's CalMAN 5 software, and DisplayMate test patterns. After a basic darkroom calibration, we found the best settings for testing the EM55FTR to be Brightness at 48, Contrast at 51, Dynamic Contrast set to Low, Adaptive Backlight set to Off, and Color Temperature set to Warm. At these settings, the EM55FTR displayed a black level of 0.05 cd/m2 and a peak brightness of 205.22 cd/m2 for a respectable contrast ratio of 4,104:1. This is comparable to similar big-screen HDTVs in this price range, like the Vizio E550i-B2 (5,421:1, with a 0.03 cd/m2 black level) and the Samsung UN55H6350AF (3,309:1, with a 0.07 cd/m2 black level). The EM55FTR showed a 45.7-millisecond input lag, respectable for an inexpensive, big-screen HDTV.

The chart above shows the EM55FTR's measured color levels (dots) compared with ideal color levels (squares). White was very close to spot-on despite leaning slightly cool, but green and blue were severely oversaturated and red skewed a bit cooler. The colors aren't nearly as off as they are on the Sanyo FVF5044, but they still lead to occasionally uneven tinting. The Sharp LC-48LE551U also suffers from oversaturated colors, but a warmer white level helps to even out the picture.

Films look generally good on the EM55FTR, with a few color and contrast flaws. In The Amazing Spider-Man on Blu-ray, the screen showed a good amount of shadow detail and strong highlights in the dark alley scenes, though the shadows occasionally looked slightly washed out. The Adaptive Backlight setting helped make the shadows look darker, but it dimmed the overall picture notably as well, and since the feature seems to affect the entire panel's lighting and not individual zones it doesn't benefit the general quality of the display. Colors generally leaned slightly cool across the board, but not enough to significantly skew flesh tones.

Power and ConclusionUnder normal viewing conditions, the EM55FTR consumes 100 watts. The screen doesn't have any notable power saving features. It falls squarely in the middle of the road for power use, comparable to the Vizio E550i-B2's 103 watts. For comparison, the high-end, 60-inch Sony KDL-W60850B uses only 60 watts, though this is a rare exception.

The JVC EM55FTR is a functional HDTV that offers a full selection of online streaming services through its included Roku Streaming Stick at a very reasonable price. Its performance is about what you can expect from an inexpensive big-screen HDTV, standing squarely in the middle of the road. If you're shopping on a budget, it's not a bad choice. However, you can save a bit more money by dropping the screen size slightly and picking up the 50-inch Sanyo FVF5044, which also includes a Roku Streaming Stick, or getting the Editors' Choice 48-inch Sharp LC-48LE551U and grabbing an HDMI Roku Streaming Stick to go with it. If you have your heart set on 55 inches or larger, the Vizio E550i-B2 offers decent performance and tons of built-in connected features, so you don't have to use up an HDMI port for Roku at all.

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About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert... See Full Bio

JVC EM55FTR

JVC EM55FTR

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